"Mars being gone just doesn't sit right."
Jovian stared at the empty space where Mars used to be, thought for a moment, then his body turned into a streak of white light and vanished from the ruins of Mars.
A few hours later, a yellow planet not much different in size from Mars got dragged over by Jovian.
As for any astronomers noticing that Mars had turned yellow? Then they must've been wearing tinted glasses!
And as for how to explain it to the public… that wasn't his problem. He trusted that the experts and professors would understand the universe better than he did—after all, they hadn't personally been there.
"I'm back."
After taking care of everything, Jovian returned to the astronauts' spacecraft.
"Who was that? Who's talking?!"
The astronauts jolted as the voice echoed inside their heads.
"Don't bother looking. It's me—Jovian. I'm right above you…"
Just as they panicked, the voice sounded again.
"Above us?"
The astronauts instinctively looked up.
And saw… the ceiling of their spacecraft.
"Stop looking. I'm outside your ship."
The voice continued inside their minds.
"Uh…"
For a moment, everyone inside the cabin felt a chill run through them. An absurd thought surfaced: Jovian could see them through the metal.
"How are you talking to us? Sound can't travel through a vacuum!"
The female astronaut was baffled. Jovian was already outside her understanding, sure—but at the very least, he should still be bound by physics. And yet this was sound in a vacuum. Robert Boyle would be rolling in his grave.
"You're right. A vacuum can't carry sound. Sound needs a medium to travel," Jovian explained with complete seriousness. "So this is telepathy. I'm sending my voice straight into your brains."
"Ah. If you put it like that, I get it. Exactly as you said—telepathy is… very scientific."
The female astronaut's eyes widened. What the fuck kind of logic was that? Sound needs a medium, so to avoid breaking physics, you just beam it directly into someone's brain? Superpowers clearly weren't under the jurisdiction of science…
"…"
Everyone fell silent.
They didn't even dare to think too loudly, terrified that Jovian might pick up on whatever crossed their minds.
"Telepathy, a body of steel, sub-light-speed flight… the ability to casually destroy a planet?!"
"This isn't a human being. He's like a god walking among mortals. A god on Earth."
The female astronaut shook her head. Looking at the tense expressions around her, she knew she wasn't the only one thinking it.
In the end, after a stretch of space travel, the spacecraft landed steadily back on Earth.
The four astronauts stepped out with bright smiles on their faces. But the moment anyone asked what they'd seen on Mars, all four clammed up at once, as if they were wary of something.
At the same time, with the astronauts' return, Mars shot up the trending lists on Earth. Everyone started digging up every scrap of information they could find about Mars.
Then an astronomy enthusiast noticed something:
Why was Mars… yellow?
In an instant, the news that "Mars turned yellow" spread like a stone dropped into a pond, kicking up wave after wave.
Some people claimed the four scientists had done something on Mars, and that the whole thing was the work of the damn United States.
Others insisted the Martians were furious that people from Earth showed up without warning, so they turned Mars yellow as a protest against Earth.
A Martian Manhunter fan even posted a video online: "We shouldn't have gone to Mars without asking the Martians first—because that's Martian Manhunter's hometown!"
Right when the arguments were at their loudest, an expert finally spoke up.
"Regarding Mars turning yellow, there's no need to worry. In fact, a color change like this is completely normal."
"As we all know, Mars appears red because its surface is covered in large amounts of hematite. Hematite may be red, but that doesn't mean Mars must always look red to us. Depending on changes in the Martian atmosphere, Mars can appear orange, reddish-orange, yellowish-orange, and other shades. This is entirely normal—everyone, please stay calm!"
On TV, the invited astronomy expert talked smoothly and confidently, utterly composed, overflowing with certainty in his own analysis.
"Clap, clap, clap…"
Watching the broadcast, Jovian kept applauding.
He had to admit—if he didn't know the truth, he might've believed the guy. That was what "professional" looked like: the endless eloquence, the confident expression, the slightly lifted chin, and those eyes carrying just a hint of contempt… not something an average person could imitate.
"Impressive. Really impressive."
If you wanted to mislead people, you had to listen to American experts.
"Jovian, you got back early?"
"How was the Mars trip?"
When Nolan and Debbie came home and saw Jovian already there, they froze and asked.
"It was fine."
Jovian turned off the TV and nodded at Nolan.
"How about you two? How have the last few days been?"
Jovian looked at Nolan and Debbie.
"Your mom and I enjoyed a happy little vacation for two," Nolan said with a snort. "As for Mark… heh. He's been completely bewitched by some girl at school."
When Nolan said that, there was a clear edge of frustration in his expression.
"It's fine, Dad. Leave it to me. I've got a plan."
Jovian walked to Nolan's side and spoke quietly.
"While you were gone, Cecil tested me a few times in private. I think he's already noticed something."
Nolan's gaze turned sharp as killing intent flickered in his eyes.
"No rush. If Cecil wants to test the water, that means he's prepared to die," Jovian said calmly. "That old fox definitely left himself a backdoor. The moment Cecil dies is probably the moment Debbie learns the truth. And then we'll be facing something even more terrifying and headache-inducing than conquering Earth…"
"A family war."
In Jovian's eyes, family drama was more exhausting than going one-on-one with Thanos.
"So what are you saying?" Nolan asked, looking to Jovian for his opinion.
"Leave it to me. In less than a week, every 'problem' stops being a problem," Jovian said. "Until then, you need to keep Mom steady—or better yet, take her somewhere far away for a vacation."
"Debbie's situation… I'll handle it."
Nolan nodded, then immediately thought of Mark and felt his head start pounding. His two sons were polar opposites—one he never had to worry about, and one who made him worry himself sick.
"Right. What about your brother?"
"Mark?" Jovian's face split into a sunny smile. "I'll deal with him. If he doesn't listen, I'll hang him up and whip him. He's a kid—kids need to be hit more."
"…"
Nolan went silent for five full seconds, staring into the darkness of his younger son's future.
"Dinner's ready."
"Stop whispering, you two."
With the food prepared, Debbie called out to Jovian and Nolan.
"Coming!"
Jovian and Nolan answered at the same time, then exchanged a smile as they looked at each other.
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